FF: Unspoken PART 26 PG 141 *new thread!!! - Page 29

SS: Unspoken part 10

Khushi felt the slow breathing of Adi as he laid his head on her lap, asleep, while they sat on the couch. It took a lot of pleading for him to finally calm his cries. Avni excused him from going to school that day - not when he was so upset. But Khushi was furious. To not tell her was one thing, but for Adi not to know that his father figure was leaving to another city; how could they not tell him?

Khushi heard footsteps coming down the hallway and she wished so badly that it would be Arnav that appeared in the living room but to her utter dismay, it was Akash. "Tell aunty that my wife is going to send food for dinner tonight. I'd ask you guys to come but I don't think you will."

She nodded her head then stared at a picture of Arnav and Adi when the little guy was just a year old. Arnav claimed to love his brother so much - he even showed it - but how could he leave him like that? Without a proper goodbye? "When is he coming back?"

"In five days," Akash replied and Khushi let out a sigh of aggravation. Her attention was pulled away from her internal struggle when Adi stirred in his sleep. She rubbed his back - in desperate hope that he'd stay asleep - but his eyes opened anyways. He sat up and rubbed at his chubby face before looking at Khushi; reality not yet sinking in for him.

"Abba?" He asked and when Khushi frowned and sadly shook her head, his lips pouted out and his eyebrows furrowed in angst. A soft whimper escaped his lips before Khushi took him by his arms and sat him on her lap as she held his head to her chest. She was going to kill the beast when he came back.

"I'll let you be," Akash said, still standing behind the couch, before backing up and leaving.

Khushi wrapped her arms around Adi as he curled up against her and lightly rocked back and forth. "He's going to come back very soon," she reassured Adi but she wondered how well one could even reassure a five year old.

*

Arnav sat in the passenger seat while Uday drove. "So Arnav...this girl in your house, what is she to you?"

"She's nothing to me. She lives in my house - what more do you want me to say?" He didn't like where the conversation was headed and hoped for a quick change of topics else he would be getting very defensive.

"Well no one has really seen her much but word has gone around that she's easy on the eyes," he looked at Arnav and saw the blank expression. "Eh?" He probed and Arnav finally glanced at him and tried to relax his angry curling lips. "I don't have time to stare at people's faces." He fisted the hand that wasn't in view to Uday. This was the exact reason why he didn't want her to go out - people were already analyzing her.

"If she means nothing to you then maybe you can introduce me to her when we return," he said with a chuckle but his face fell when he saw fire radiating from Arnav's death glare. "As long as she or anyone else lives under my roof, then people better watch their words...and their eyes. If you can't drive with a normal conversation, then tell me now so we can swap cars."

"Hey, relax. I won't say it again," he said with a shaky voice and kept his eyes on the road. Being the top of the human chain, people wanted Arnav's love, not hate - never his hate.

*

Where the first day was spent in trying to console Adi, the second day was spent in absolute boredom. Khushi did everything there was to do - she cleaned, she cooked, she cleaned more, and cooked more to a point where there wasn't anything left to cook or clean!

Avni came into the kitchen and her eyes widened at all the food on the table. "Khushi, are people coming tonight?"

Khushi lightly chuckled. "No. I was bored so I did all this."

Avni's eyes softened at her. "I can just imagine how bored you are. I would tell you to go out but - "

Khushi nodded her head before Avni could finish her sentence. Arnav didn't want her to go out. What else was new?

"Would you mind if I went to the falls?" Khushi asked with desperation in her eyes. She would be able to think without any interruptions.

Avni pursed her lips - troubled with what answer she should give. "Arnav doesn't like anyone going to the falls for safety reasons...but, if you promise to be extra careful, then we won't let him know." Avni smiled when Khushi ran over and threw her arms around her neck. "Thank you aunty!"

"Khushi, you either call me ammi or chachi, no english vinglish," she said and Khushi nodded accordingly. "Ammi is perfect," Khushi said before kissing her cheek and hurriedly leaving the house.

She sat on the rocks that she and Arnav sat on the first time. It was better than the last time because the sun was out and shining brightly but it was worse than last time because it felt lonely. She smiled at the thought of Avni - she was really a wonderful woman. But thinking of her, she remembered her own mother.

"I will kill Darshan the next time he looks my way," Khushi threatened as she walked into the sitting room where her mother was picking mint leaves from their stems. "Don't say his name out loud! Your father will kill you."

"Why should I be killed? He's the one flirting!" Khushi defended herself and sat cross-legged on the floor to help her mom. "Ma...please let me have a say in who I marry."

Her mother looked up and saw the desperation in Khushi's eyes. "You know how your father is. He doesn't really take my word into consideration either. His ego won't allow him."

"Some ego!" Khushi spat and her mother gave her a hard look. Khushi bit down on her tongue and when her frustration reached its limit, she got up and left.

Her laugh pulled her out of her memory as she thought of Arnav's behavior. It was obvious that his ego often held him back from otherwise just laughing and enjoying himself in every moment.

'Stupid man. I'm not that bad - just give me a chance to show you. But no matter how hard you try to put up the rough appearance, I've already seen your laughter and smile to know that you have an incredible heart. Just come back now - but first I'll have to give you a hard time for bringing tears to Adi's eyes...and mine,' she looked off at the scenery with a slight smile on her lips.

Her thoughts went back to home again. What were they doing to find her? She knew they weren't just going to sit back and wait for her return. They were most likely searching and that scared her a lot.

"It's a perfect alliance and I'm honoured that you'd consider my daughter. She's a very good girl - as you know - so she won't have any objections. Darshan is a great young man, a perfect Sadasyan here." Khushi heard her father's voice from the living room. She quietly sat on the steps of the stairs and strained her ears to hear. How could he have just fixed her marriage with a boy she hated so much? Her heart panged but she couldn't let it get to her too much. She had already made it clear to her father that she wouldn't marry him so now he would have to live with the consequences.

She made her way back to her room and ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and took out her pen. She started writing. "Don't ever tell him about this letter. Burn it once you read it but I'm leaving, ma. Marriage is not a joke - it's the person you have to live with all your life - and there is absolutely no way that I will marry Darshan. I can't plead with papa either - he has a big ego remember? Wherever I end up, I'm sorry to say I won't ever return because I know returning home will be even worse for me. Let them search all they want but please make it easier for me by suggesting that maybe I died. I love you very much and I'm sorry this is how I have to say goodbye. - Khushi."

She folded the paper in three and snuck into her parent's room. She buried it within one of her mother's sarees and hurried back to her room where she locked the door and spent the rest of the night there. When all the lights went off and it was as dark as a grave with not a single sound of movement outside, she jumped from her window to the ground and as much as it sent a severe spasm up her leg, she got back up and continued to quickly walk in her bare feet.

But even in the dead silence of the night, she couldn't risk taking her sweet time. There were always people on the lookout. She shivered with fright as she brushed her way through the trees and bushes until she finally got to the bank of the river where no one would see her. Her nerves took over her body even more. The tide was high and even in that middle of the night; the water seemed to be steadily moving.

Taking her mind off the water, another thought came to her. Where would she even go? It would literally take her several hours to even step foot off the land. Khushi wasn't paying enough attention. She took a wrong step and felt her legs give way under her. Her head hit against a hard surface before she completely fell in and her eyes rolled upward as they closed into unconsciousness and her body was being taken to a place she never would have imagined.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey friends! I know, I know, we all want Arshi to reunite, but not so soon! haha. An inquiry was asked by a new reader, N0306 (welcome!! 😃 ) about the era. So like I said, it's definitely not in the 21st century but it's not so long ago either. So think of it as the mid 20th century, that's why they only have some cars and tvs but yes, no mobiles. But this is meant to be far from the city so they are still quite reserved about their lifestyle.

Guys, there really isn't too much to Khushi's past. The explanation she gave to Arnav is true...except the place, which I'm sure all of you have figured out by now. lol.

Spent a good portion of my time listening to Yehi Hota Pyaar as I wrote this. It's such a sweet song and I could see it matching Arnav and Khushi's case. Give it a listen because it's a great song!

I so wish I could give each and every one of you a big hug! Thank you SO much! I swear, I really appreciate it. 🤗

Congrats for became the Goldie dear..